Reckless driver report turns into attempted murder investigation
Update: Suspect Roy Smith lll pleads not guilty to attempted murder at his arraignment at the Larson Justice Center in Indio Wednesday afternoon. He also pleaded not guilty to domestic violence, child endangerment and drunken driving charges.
Smith faces sentence enhancing allegations of discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury, as well as causing great bodily injury that either causes a victim to become comatose or suffer permanent paralysis.
He is due back in court on May 20 for a felony settlement conference.
Reckless driver report turns into attempted murder investigation:
When California Highway Patrol officers pulled over a man accused of reckless driving on Saturday afternoon, they found a woman shot multiple times laying on the rear passenger floorboard, and an uninjured baby covered in blood.
The driver, 25-year-old Willie Roy Smith lll of San Bernardino, was pulled over at about 4 p.m. near I-10 and Date Palm Drive after witnesses reported him for reckless driving.
The Cathedral City Police Department was called in to assist when officers discovered the injured woman laying on the floorboards. Police said the woman, who hasn’t been identified yet, was shot multiple times.
She was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center where she is in stable condition, officers said in a release.
The 3-month-old baby was secured in a car seat and was covered in blood, officers said. Thankfully the baby wasn’t injured.
“We are still trying to determine exactly where the shooting occurred,” said Lt. Glen Haas with CCPD. “There was evidence found inside the car that the shooting occurred inside the car but we still don’t know where that shooting actually happened..”
CHP officers took Smith into custody and they found a handgun in the vehicle. Smith was also taken to DRMC but was eventually arrested by CCPD detectives for attempted murder, domestic violence, and child endangerment.
The infant was medically treated and evaluated and is currently in the custody of Child Protective Services.
The Cathedral City Police Department is asking anyone with information about the incident to call officers at 760-770-0313.
KESQ and CBS Local 2 will continue to update you as Smith’s court proceedings move forward.
